Imperfect

Devotion for the Week...

I can't even begin to count all the times I've been nervous and said something stupid, just because I needed to say something. Have you ever done that? Please say you have, lol. I don't want to be alone in this!

Actually, I know I'm not alone, even if you've escaped that particular embarrassment. The Bible tells me that, at least once, Peter blurted out the first thing that came to mind. I found it last week, while reading Mark's gospel:

"Six days later Jesus took Peter, James, and John, and led them up a high mountain to be alone. As the men watched, Jesus’ appearance was transformed, and his clothes became dazzling white, far whiter than any earthly bleach could ever make them. Then Elijah and Moses appeared and began talking with Jesus.

Peter exclaimed, “Rabbi, it’s wonderful for us to be here! Let’s make three shelters as memorials—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” He said this because he didn’t really know what else to say, for they were all terrified" (Mark 9:2-6).

Don't you just love these little proofs that Bible people were, first and foremost, real people? I know I do! Here's Peter, terrified by the sight of Jesus in all His glory and accompanied by Moses and Elijah, just blurting out the first thought he had, even if it doesn't really make a whole lot of sense. What use did Jesus, Moses and Elijah have for shelters on the mountain??

While I am relieved to know that I'm not alone in saying stupid things, and I do love the proof that Peter was a real person with flaws, that's not what I find the most interesting thing about this passage. I find it most interesting that Mark tells us the reason Peter blurted it out - because he didn't know what else to say. How could Mark know that?

As far as I can tell, the most logical answer is that Peter told him. My first inclination when I say something stupid is to never tell anyone about it, ever. Why spread the embarrassment farther? Peter doesn't seem to have had that same inclination, though. It's like he was more interested in making sure people understood he didn't have it all figured out.

This isn't the only time Peter told on himself. In comparison, blurting out some foolishness about building shelters on the side of the mountain is nothing like when he denied even knowing Jesus, but Peter didn't keep that to himself, either. Peter obviously knew the secret to really connecting with people isn't making yourself look as perfect as possible, it's being candid about your own flaws so they can relate to you.

Background quilt is Formal Garden in Playroom fabrics.

Reaching people for Jesus has to start with our connections with them. That means sharing our mistakes, even the stupid ones, so people can realize that we're not different from them. It's our imperfections that allow them to see glimpses of how God could work in their lives. Pretending we're perfect just makes it harder for people to imagine God accepting them and using them because they're all too aware of their own imperfections.